Beer Awards: What’s Your Opinion

Two major awards were released recently celebrating BC Brewers. These awards were people’s choice awards that operated by voting. One such award (CAMRA BC) had a technical error that allowed the same voters to vote multiple times if they deleted their cookies. Another award (North West Brewing News) was simply an online poll. Recently a brewery in British Columbia utilized the nature of these awards to their benefit by 1. Having people vote multiple times for them in the first contest, and 2. gathering a large network of supporters to vote for them in the latter.

The first tactic is ethically dubious, while the second is not. But, in my mind this underlies a fundamental flaw in beer awards generally. Namely:


1. Awards should not be popularity contests

Who cares if a brewery mustered the largest number of people to click for it in some poll? What does that tell you about the beer other than 1. it may be popular, or 2. It’s more aggressive at getting supporters to vote for it. Personally, I could care less about either.

2. Awards are too frequently marketing initiatives

Do we really need more marketing mechanisms? I don’t need to be marketed to via awards. Wine awards already do this and are, accordingly, meaningless and completely ignored by anyone who has any knowledge about wine. Should beer awards be the same? Shouldn’t effective beer awards have some sort of standards, some set of criteria, and a panel of experts to judge them? Otherwise, what’s the point? I’m all for trusting your own palate and drinking what you like, but I don’t see the need for a populist award if that is the case. I do appreciate what those with experience have to say when strict standards are adhered to, as even if I disagree with the results I can at least respect the process. Otherwise, awards are doomed to irrelevance.

What’s your opinion?